First timer

Just read up on the travel guides and maybe some DVDs for London. We always think it is smart to go two or three days earlier so that you do your jet lag adjustment on your time and not the tour's time. Steves' people will give directions getting to the meeting hotel. The tube (subway) is easy to use.

Mary, you will have a wonderful time as a solo traveler! The only problem is that it will get you hooked both on international travel AND on RS tours, lolol! Hope your pocketbook can take future hits!

There will be specific instructions on how to get from the airport to your hotel AND you can post here on the forum in case people have suggestions on a different and possibly easier way to do this journey.

Depending on where your hotel is located, for myself if I were a 1st time traveler, I'd take the Heathrow Express in to Paddington. It's fast, does not make any other stops and you can buy a ticket ahead of time, (I think). From the station, it is very easy to follow the signs to the TAXIs and take a cab to your hotel. It's not the cheapest way to do things but to me it's the easiest for a solo traveler.

And yes, yes, yes, go at least a day early. IF you have the time and money, go 2 days early so you have a full day to walk around on your own plus 2 partial days.

I've done 11 RS tours. I've done 7 of them solo and have another solo one coming up in 2 weeks. It's a marvelous way to travel! For the city tours they work on teaching you how to manage city transportation. I never have lived in a location that has public transport so that was pretty intimidating to me to start with. I am now a pretty independent traveler and take public transport with no problem thanks to the lessons from my guides!

If you have any interest in the Best of England tour, you might consider doing that back to back with the London tour, lol!! Do Best of England first, then Best of London so you are in one location at the end of your time.

(***and no, I'm not a shill for Rick Steves Europe, hahaha!! I just enjoy the tours, the guides and the fellow tour members!)

mrya46 welcome and ask all the questions you need to ask. It can be very intimidating. Yes, a good guidebook will be very helpful in identifying things you dont even know to ask yet. But many people have done this and many have traveled alone on RS tours. Its a great way for the inexperienced traveler to feel comfortable.

Yes the challenge of getting yourself from the airport to the first hotel requires learning how the different transportation options work and choosing which you are most comfortable with. Thats where a guidebook will help. You will also get some guidance from RS when you sign up for the tour. Yes coming in a day early is helpful, in order to help deal with jetlag.

Its a popular tour so dont wait too long to sign up.

A good starting point/introduction is to watch the series of Rick Steves "Travel Skills" videos. These are a bit dated and a few items may be ripe for an update, but most of the info is still valid. Worth noting: the videos are mostly geared to those traveling independently, but are still valuable for those on a tour. Also, of course, watch the videos that cover the places you are interested in visiting. If you're really ready to start moving forward, buy the book:

Rick Steves London Guidebook (currently on sale)

All these things will help you get your head in the game, and give you a better feel for what things will be like.

Getting from the airport to central London is a breeze - the tube is often a great option (the particulars depend on where in London you are staying - it's a big city). Complete details in the book - you'll see.

Do not worry: everyone is a bit nervous before they do their first trip. You will find it's much easier than you fear it might be.

Hello Myra46
I am mostly a solo traveler. I’ve been traveling with RS over a span of 10 years (not a tour every year however). My experience has been good. Couples usually invite you to join them at breakfast. I have met other solo women - one I met many years ago on the Basque trip and we keep in touch. This last trip I was traveling with a friend, but I also took time to connect with other people. I correspond with a few. One trip another solo traveler and I did things together on our free days (make sure you plan your time before you go) - she had no interest in staying in touch. I’m thankful I had a companion for a while.
I also travel quite a bit on my own and have been for quite some time. I don’t have all the answers but I do have experience. If you have questions please feel free to contact me.
Good luck and safe journey.

Once you’re registered on your tour, the Rick Steves organization will send you the name of your hotel, so if you want to, you could see if they can accommodate you prior to the tour starting (and/or possibly after). Have a wonderful time!

Welcome to the Forum.

Couple of thoughts.

Background: I’ve taken 2 RS Tours Florence and Istanbul. Throughly enjoyed.

I’ve traveled solo ( by choice ) since Nixon was in office.

Definitely sign up for the tour. RS guides are very informative

London is my favorite city on the planet. Have visited many times.

Keep in mind a few things:

The British speak the same language. Albeit a bit different accent wise its english.

A single woman can be comfortable sitting alone in a pub enjoying a meal or a drink without being bothered.

Dogs and cats can often be found in pubs.

Public transport is stellar although busses can take bit of time due to traffic. Virtually the same issue regarding traffic and busses like any metropolitan city. Thus my love of the tube. Over the decades learned to avoid commuter times. Nowadays easy to use a debit or credit card to tap in or tape out. I still have an Oyster card but they are being phased out.

The tube will get you anywhere in London.

If you book a hotel near Paddington Station you can take the Heathrow Express ( 25 minutes Heathrow to Paddington). Book ticket 2 months in advance for cost savings. I believe the Elizabeth Line now travels there as well.

So yes, I suggest you fly in a day early. You can usually arrange an extra night with the hotel where the tour will be staying. Imagine you wouldn’t be alone in doing that. Tell management you are with the tour and see if your can negotiate the tour room rate for that extra night.

Lastly, London is a bustling urban city. Going a day early allows your senses to acclimatize.

RS tours are a wonderful way to see cities. ENJOY!

Gee, Mary, so many good suggestions have been offered! I too travel solo with RS and echo the recommendations and reassurances already given. I would add that if you read the guidebook in advance (get a copy from the library?) you may find sights (sites) you want to visit that are not covered in the tour itinerary, and going a day or so extra will give you the opportunity to visit these. For me, it is often a performance at the Globe, Liberty of London, Hatchards bookshop, anything by London Walks, many of the places recommended by Claudia.... Have a good time!

Good for you, Mary! You will be a seasoned traveler by the end of your tour, and I wish you many more travels in the future.

As another poster said, do watch the Rick Steves travel skills video, and be sure to follow his advice on keeping your money and passport safely tucked away.

If you get a bit turned around or confused at some point, ask for help and consider it all as part of the adventure. Travel reinforces my idea that there are kind, wonderful people everywhere in the world. They will be there when you need them.

Thank you so much for all your information. How do you guys handle money? Do you wait until you get there and then find a bank and convert your money there?

What works better than taking dollars and converting them is to use your ATM card at a machine in London and take out pounds. You’d notify your bank/credit union that you have travel plans so they don’t think your card has bern stolen.

Many locations do cashless now so less actual cash is needed.

You may want to get Rick’s Europe Through the Back Door which is a manual for new to Europe travelers. Or see if it’s available in your library. Several people have suggested the RS London book but you’ll get this “free” as part of your tour materials so hold off on buying that one.

mrya46, if you're on your computer (rather than a phone) take a look at the menu on the left side of the page and see the link that says Travel Tips. Spend some time perusing those topics and you'll see a bunch of good guidance on things, like money, that will help answer your questions.

How do you guys handle money? Do you wait until you get there and then find a bank and convert your money there?

In your case I would suggest that you arrive with £200 so you don’t have to hassle with obtaining funds right after you arrive. If you need more use your ATM card. You will find that you can use your credit cards very readily in GB. Just an FYI, my wife and I travel with 3 credit cards and 2 ATM cards all on separate accounts. There are many threads on these forums dealing with money. Enjoy planning your trip and keep the questions coming.

First of all, London is definitely the easiest overseas destination. Relax and enjoy your planning. The RS guidebook has a map of the tube(subway) and you could familiarize yourself with how it works before you go. There is an app, but I really like the map. Do not count on Google to get you to your walking destination-I think it's thrown off by tall buildings. Again, when I was there in May, I wished I'd brought a paper map-but fortunately some streets have map displays. Wear a money belt that contains an additional credit card. If one were stolen, you would still be able to use the tube (subway) to get back to your hotel. Take a hotel card with you-you could always show it to a cab driver if you were lost, but beware that cabs are quite expensive in London. Plan plenty of things to do on the plane(Kindles are wonderful for this) and don't assume you will be able to sleep. If you're on the east coast of US, both NYC and Boston have day flights so you wouldn't lose a night's sleep. England uses different plug adapters than Europe-I would take 2 because sometimes I have trouble getting one to work in the outlet. If you were staying in more than one hotel, I would recommend taking 2 phone chargers in case you forgot to pack one when you moved to your second hotel. Hopefully, you will be able to stay at the same hotel as your tour when you arrive early-make that reservation far in advance. Be sure to take rain gear. There is an entire section of the Forum about packing-may of us are OCD packers who are always trying to travel with less stuff so we can get by with just a carryon and a personal item. Wear good walking shoes. Be aware that when you depart from Heathrow, they will require your liquids to be in a smaller baggie than the nice sturdy ones sold at Target. Anything you can get that's not a liquid(solid shampoo and conditioner) will save space in your 3-1-1 bag. Apply for your passport now.

Just a note to say that travel to and from Heathrow and Paddington will change for the better from November 2022 when the new Elizabeth rail line is fully open. You will be able to make a complete journey without changing trains from Heathrow to central London stations like Tottenham Court Road and Farringdon and then much further eastwards. Make sure you have a new map which includes the line, and don't follow old advice too closely.

We can be more specific on how to get to your hotel once we know which hotel you are staying in. Until then, all suggestions are moot. Why take transport into the city that goes to one end when you can take different transport closer to your hotel. When you sign up, RS will send you the name of your hotel. (They also, usually, include directions from the airport to your hotel.)

And remember, there is more than one airport so which airport you fly into is also important for directions. (Heathrow is the most common, but there are fights from the USA into Gatwick.)

London may be big but it is an easy city to navigate. Everything is in English. The transportation system is very good and gets you anywhere. Download the "Citymapper" app your phone. It is excellent in giving you step by step instructions on how to get anywhere.

Most of us will suggest you try to arrive a couple of days early. This will help you to get over any jet lag. If you decide to do this, as soon as you know the name of your hotel, contact them to make reservations for the extra days. A lot easier than changing hotels.

As for money, the best exchange rate is by using an ATM once you get here. Some people like to have some local currency before they arrive and you can get them from either your bank or AAA. The worst is exchanging US dollars for British pounds at an exchange booth. If you have contactless credit cards or use your phone for either Apple Pay or Google Pay, they are accepted almost anywhere. In the past three years, the only time I've used cash in the UK--and that's a total of about 6 months--is with taxis,athough they accept credit cards, and for my most recent haircut.

Get the RS London guidebook and he will give you some tips. (Some may be outdated). Come back with more questions.

BTW, I am a solo traveler--male-but have met many solo female travelers of all ages. They were all having a wonderful time. And in reality, much of the time you'll be with the group.

mrya46, it occurred to me that there are a couple of points about the tours that you won't find in the guidebooks. One is that you have to decide upfront if you're willing to share a room, or willing to pay the single supplement to get your own room. If there's an odd number of solo women, than you might luck out and get a private room without paying the supplement.

We noticed that because the tour has mostly couples or pairs of friends traveling together, sometimes solo travelers get left out, or feel uncomfortable joining a breakfast or dinner table of others. Just dont worry about it. We've always been open to befriending solo travelers when we know they are interested in joining things we're doing. This is important when deciding what to do with your free time, as you can usually find someone who wants to go where you are interested in going. If there are a lot of other solos, then its easier to match up.

And mentioning the free time, its good to read the guidebook ahead of time, to have some idea of what interests you. The tour leader can help point you in the right direction. But its up to you to plan that time. Some people shop, some people have a particular sight they want to visit, and some just want to rest. So if you're tired of the group, you can get that alone time as well.

In your case I would suggest that you arrive with £200 so you don’t
have to hassle with obtaining funds right after you arrive.

Listen to Ed from Houston. Arriving with cash in hand (2-300 pounds) will eliminate having to locate an ATM, hoping it works (they do malfunction at times), and doing it while on new turf and with jet lag. It will cost a little more to get funds from your local bank, but the little extra it cost is well worth it to avoid the hassle upon landing. And it's very little extra compared to the overall cost of the trip.

On an adjacent post I just recommended this site:
https://tfl.gov.uk/
It will help you get to your hotel and any other travel you want to do apart from the group.

I've never had trouble finding a bank-operated ATM at Heathrow but I realize that you want to ease procedures after a red-eye flight. Two pieces of advice about electronic banking:
Both credit and debit cards may impose a foreign currency exchange fee even for small transactions. These usually come from your own bank so you can check ahead to see if you prefer to make small purchases in cash.

AND: Some machines may ask if you want the card transaction converted to your country's money. Say no; those rates are poor.

And pay attention when Rick says that ATMs require a 4 digit numerical PIN! The key pads are different across the big pond, so you need the actual numbers
Hubby ignored that on his first trip with me so we couldn't draw any cash from his account. I did still feed him though. 😁

Visitors are often told to use an ATM inside a bank. The situation may be different in London, but in the rest of the U.K. many bank branches have closed in the last few years, and those that remain generally have their ATMs outside to offer 24 hour access. Banks do not now exchange currency. On the rare occasions that I draw cash, I use machines at supermarkets and never have any probems.

Seems to be about a 50-50 split on whether to get cash before leaving or wait until after landing ... in my experience, it's more of a hassle trying to find a bank near you that will have euros or pounds ... and I'm sure there is a fee involved ... I have always found a bank ATM at the airport and use my fee-free debit card (it even reimburses me for the ATM machine fee) ... that's how I roll, to each their own.